Chipping Barnet is home to London's only registered battlefield (Battle of Barnet: 1471), but it also has enjoyed a long history as a flourishing market town, providing hospitality, produce, and trade to travellers on the Great North Road. With this bid we will revive this tradition of hospitality and trade, celebrate what is special about Barnet and boost the local economy by building on the success of the previous years' medieval festivals.
The Town Team, along with the Partnership that delivered the successful Battle of Barnet Project, will transform the town centre by bringing back the bustle and buzz of medieval times.
In June 2019 we shall organise a weekend of medieval activities, providing a shuttle bus to link the festival site with the town centre. By creating opportunities for local artisan producers to sell their goods, for town traders to dress in medieval costume, for people to volunteer and learn about medieval life, this project will bring the community together.

What we'll deliver:

Stage two historical re-enactments of the Battle of Barnet and medieval firepower displays

Provide a Living History camp and taster events before the Festival

Organise historical workshops in the town centre before the festival weekend

Hire a Big Community Tent on the festival site for the sale of local artisan produce

Install a display of heraldic banners in the town centre

Provide community activities relating to medieval life including the 'Barnet Bendes'

Provide a free shuttle bus service running throughout the festival weekend around key sites

Jointly with the Spires, organise a two-day market in the town market site

Buy medieval costumes for involved town traders (who embrace to the medieval theme) to wear over the weekend

Why it's a great idea:

The Medieval Festival started in a small way in 2017. In 2018 it attracted over 6000 people but was separate from the town centre. Interviews with visitors this year emphasised the need to bring the communities together to boost the local economy. This project will promote local traders at the festival site as well as the town centre, providing a market-place and shopfront for their goods. The unifying medieval theme will attract more visitors. It will also generate many opportunities for people to volunteer and to connect with each other.
In the months leading up to the Festival, we will provide workshops for people to learn about medieval food and costume and to take part in a community craft activity - the bendes of Barnet - to create heraldic household badges to be worn by the re-enactors. Local schools will be invited to each support a household and join in the craft activity. Local groups will organise talks, walks, musical events and art displays on the Festival weekend.

Steps to get it done:

September: recruitment of implementation team. Initial conatcts with local schools

October: recruitment of gardeners and allotment holders to use their glut to make jams, preserves etc for sale in June

January: recruitment of re-enactors and volunteers for sewing project

January and February: recruitment of local independent (and chain) town centre traders

February and March: visits to local schools to raise interest/awareness among pupils and staff

April and May: Pre-festival events: Town workshops and pre-arranged school-based events

May: Heraldic banners displayed in the town centre

June: Festival - and post-event review meetings

The Battle of Barnet Project, run by the Barnet Museum, Barnet Society and the Battlefields Trust, has delivered a range of different community activities to raise awareness about the Battle of Barnet, a decisive encounter during the Wars of the Roses. The culmination of the project was the Medieval Festival, a community event which attracted over 6000 visitors to the Festival site and was enthusiastically welcomed by the public. The success of this event has meant that there are expectations that it could be held again, but better integrated with the town centre. This demand has spurred the Town Team to devise ways to deliver a town-wide Medieval Festival and hence to put together this application.
Our town has taken longer than many to recover from the 2008 recession. At present, alongside other developments, the Town Team in association with the Partnership is keen to develop Barnet as a historic centre. Costs are based on estimates from the internet, quotations and local sources.

As I write, we are two days way from our deadline - but still with too much money left to raise. This site will shortly close and your pledge will not be collected (but read on!).
We did do well and we are not despondent, despairing or any or "des" word you can thnk of. Far from it. We have received tremendous support from everyone who pledged and also from all those people who sought us out in the town - especially at the recent Christmas Fair - to tell us what you thought, and especially what we could do better next year. We are also deeply touched by the enthusiasm of the re-enactor community for their super-enthusiastic embracing of our "new" festival. They are spreading the word and are determined to make a success of Barnet Medieval Festival 2019.
So we will relaunch in the New Year with a new slimmed-down Crowdfunding drive. If you pledged this time, please do so again - and tell all your friends, colleagues and acquaintances about it. We look forward to seeing you in early June 2019!
Susan & Bob (Barnet Medieval Festival)

Making Barnet a Festival Town has reached 10% of its target!1 months ago

London Borough of Barnet pledged £5,0001 months ago

2 Pledges worth £1051 months ago

85 Pledges worth £1,1632 months ago

An update on progress2 months ago

Good Day to you all.
Firstly, thank you for your support for our project. You will see that we still have quite a way to go if we are to reach our target by the 9 December deadline. Sadly, on this occasion, the GLA team did not pick us as a project for their pledges. However, there has been some interest shown by Barnet Together, and we are also making contact with other possible philanthropic organisations.
And this is where you could help - in at least two ways:
1. Do you know of any fund holding charities or private philanthropists, who would find the idea of a community event like ours worth supporting?
2. If we fail to reach our target by 9 December, you will not be asked for any money through this site. But we do not intend to give up. We are very keen to see the Medieval Festival estalished as an eagerly anticipated annual event, even if we cannot grow as quickly as we'd like to. So, if you would still like to be involved: as a possble donor,a receiver of occasional newsletters or potential volunteer - please email me (bobburstow@btinternet.com) using BMF (Barnet Medieval Festival) as the subject line and I will then add you to the mailing list.
Please note that this is the only way we can continue to be in contact with you, should our Crowdfunding drive not meet its deadline.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Regards
Bob Burstow and Susan Skedd
BMF 2019

80 backers!

80 people have backed Making Barnet a Festival Town!3 months ago

Whoop, 80 people have pledged since fundraising began!

70 backers!

70 people have backed Making Barnet a Festival Town!3 months ago

Whoop, 70 people have pledged since fundraising began!

4 people liked Making Barnet a Festival Town3 months ago

Thanks to all of you for your efforts so far3 months ago

A quick note to thank you all for your efforts to date. Over 60 supporters and £1000 in local donations is a very good start. Next week is when Saddiq Kahn's team will be looking at how we have done, to decide if we will benefit from any of the big money that the Greater London Authority will be giving. So for this week, please tell eveyone about the project and urge them to get online and pledge £2.00 - only the cost of a coffee - to show willing. Pledging is at bit.ly/BMF-2019 and remember - you could be picked to fire a cannon on one of the festival days. If Theresa could do it last year then so can you! (Click on this kink to see her in action: https://www.facebook.com/theresavillierscb/videos/1046471935511258/

This shows how money raised for the project will be spent. Before entering fundraising these costs will be confirmed by the project's Delivery Manager and verified by the verifier.

19%

Professional and specialist services

£6,495

13%

Security

£4,500

10%

Historical re-enactment, workshops and entertainment

£3,600

9%

Installing heraldic banners in town centre

£3,000

7%

Hire of portaloos

£2,300

6%

Printing and promotion costs

£1,930

5%

Hire of marquee, tables and chairs

£1,656

4%

Purchase of medieval costume

£1,500

4%

Hire of site

£1,450

4%

Hire of mini-bus as shuttle bus

£1,346

20%

Other

£7,127

Spacehive fees

£1,585

Transaction Fees

£1,298

First Aid

£695

Event insurance

£500

Purchase of fabric for making medieval bendes

£500

Hire of radios, PA and tape barriers

£500

Refreshments for Festival volunteers

£500

Purchase of shade awning, pegs, ropes and poles

£500

Purchase of firewood

£432

VAT

£317

Hire of skip for rubbish

£300

Overfunding

This project is enabled for overfunding. If the project hits its funding goal before the end of the campaign period, any extra funds raised will be spent (in order of priority) on: More historical workshops for the community
More children's activities
An additional small marquee for a refreshment tent

Total £34,904

Our Wish List

We're currently looking for people to offer skills and stuff to develop our project! Check out the list of what we need below and then use the 'Offer Something' button to the right to get involved.

Want to help?

Do you have stuff or skills to contribute to this project? Use this tool to offer something to the project creator.

About the Project Creator

Chipping Barnet Town Team is made up of the 5 main community groups in town plus Barnet College, a local Councillor, a senior council official and other stakeholders. The groups worked with the Council in 2009/11 to produce a Town Centre Strategy with an action plan. We have since undertaken projects to fulfil these committments including: the redesign of the church garden (now the Town Gateway), the first phase of the greening of the High Street, renovatkion of local independant traders' shopfronts, the monthly Barnet Teenage Market, and ongoing proposals for pavement buildouts along the High Street. We have had some successes since our founding and are growing in confidence and skill.

We have a vision for Chipping Barnet as an aspirational retail destination and community space. It is an old market town and has many positives.

Green spaces around the town

Many attractive old buildings some of which are protected in conservation areas

An ancient stall market once the hub of the town.

Sadly the Hiigh Street has lost its identity, especially since 2008, with a high vacancy rate, high churn and a plethora of charity shops. It is not sufficiently attractive to new retailers. We are trying to work with existing traders, landlords and borough officers to encourage the High Street to return to being seen as an enthusiastic and attcative destination for local residents and visitors alike. This project will provide an exemplar of what can be done.

Project Delivery Manager: Chipping Barnet Town Team
The Project Delivery Manager takes legal responsibility for receiving and spending the funds raised and ensuring the project is delivered.

Contractors:
Howard Giles,Medieval Siege Society,Susan Skedd
The team responsible for building or installing the project.